of Blaisdon) Opposition Chief Whip in the Lords (Lord Bassam of Brighton) Candidates Shortly after the 2010 general election, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling announced that he would not be a candidate in the elections, thus ending more than 20 years of frontbench service. In August, both Shadow Justice Secretary Jack Straw and Shadow Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth announced their retirements from the frontbench. On 29 September, the day nominations closed, Shadow Foreign Secretary David Miliband announced he would step down from the Shadow Cabinet, having been defeated for the Labour leadership days earlier by his brother, Ed. Forty-nine Labour MPs stood for election, and the results were as follows: Notes † Multiple candidates tied for position. Chief Whip election At the same time they elect members of the Shadow Cabinet, the Commons PLP will elect the Opposition Chief Whip. The incumbent Chief Whip, Nick Brown, announced on 29 September that he would not be a candidate, writing in a letter to the new leader, Ed Miliband, that though he had intended to stand for election to the post, he was acceding to Miliband's request that he stand down. According to the BBC, after the announcement, Jim Fitzpatrick, who had also intended to stand for the post, withdrew his candidacy, and Miliband asked Rosie Winterton to stand, and she did so unopposed. References 2010 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet Lab